SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Appendix D ⎯ Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact StatementPCMS. However, it does not consider the effects that training of the 2/25th SBCT at PCMSwould have on the tribes or TCPs.Response: Fort Carson has a mutually respected and proactive relationship with all identifiedNative American Tribal Affiliations. All TCPs, sacred sites, and Rock Artsites are protected from impact and made readily available for access by NativeAmericans consistent with both safety and military training requirements.See response to comment 83 above.127. On page 5–25, the DEIS’ reference to cultural resources surveys for only “the majority of theareas of proposed surface disturbance for the [Schofield] BAX” implicitly concedes the Armyfailed to complete such surveys prior to commencing BAX construction. The DEIS fails todisclose that this failure violated the PA. As discussed in Earthjustice’s scoping comments,the Army’s failure to live up to its commitments under the PA has already caused irreparabledamage to cultural treasures like Haleauau Heiau. Moreover, the past failures to comply withthe PA belie the DEIS’ claims that “[i]mpacts to archaeological sites can be avoided or mitigatedthrough compliance with the PA.” (DEIS at 5–26). Since the Army has demonstrated itis unwilling or unable to comply with the PA, impacts to cultural resources under AlternativeA would be much greater than disclosed in the DEIS.To take the requisite hard look at the impacts of proceeding with Alternative A, the DEISmust accurately describe the shortcomings of the Army’s mitigation measures (including disclosureof the irreparable harm to cultural resources that has already occurred as a result ofSBCT-related activities), evaluate threats to unprotected cultural sites posed by the Army’suse at QTR1 of MK19 grenade launchers (a weapon system the DEIS neither disclosed noranalyzed for use at QTR1), and accurately assess the significance of harm to cultural sites, includingburials, that stationing the 2/25 th SBCT in Hawaii would inevitably cause.Response: The Army has fulfilled its requirements under the terms of the PA for stationingSBCT at USAG-HI. All the areas of proposed surface disturbance weresurveyed in the SBMR BAX. The area was burned three or four times to allowsurvey to occur. These surveys were completed before UXO clearance began.Construction of the BAX has not commenced. The site protection measures forHaleauau Heiau were established with the input of the cultural monitors andthe earth disturbance stayed within the site protection boundaries (see photo2). Only some boulder fragments rolled on to the fencing (see photo 1). TheHeiau was not affected by earth disturbing activities or the movement of theboulders. Please refer to Section 5.2.5.2 to review the revisions.Training with the MK–19, a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, would occuron QTR 1 using only training rounds. This clarification has been added to Section2.5 in the description of the SBCT’s use of the QTR. The training roundsare non-explosive. MK-19 training on QTR1 would be within the design parametersof the range and not cause impacts more severe than were determinedin the 2004 Transformation EIS.February 2008 D–41 2/25th SBCT Final EIS